Change-speed gear for cotton cleaners



Oct. 22, 1929. T. w. AVHEN CHANGE SPEED GEAR FOR COTTON CLEANERS Filed March 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 22, 1929. T. w. AVEN CHANGE SPEED GEAR FOR COTTON CLEANERS Filed March 26, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Get. 22, 1929 urrs STATE PA NT OFFICE THOMAS WESLEY: AVEN, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIG-NOR TO THE MURRAY COMPANY, OF DALLAS, TEXAS, A. CORPORATIQN OF TEXAS CHANGE-SPEED GEAR FOR COTTON CLEANERS Application filed. March 28, 1927. Serial No. 178,734.

My invention is a selective change speed gearing for the cotton feeding rolls of a cotton cleaner or other mechanism which may be set beneath them.

It has'been long practiced to feed cotton from a source of supply to a cleaning or ginning mechanism or the like, by means of a feeder roll or rolls, actuated at a definite speed to feed an approximately even amount of cotton to the mechanism per minute, and such rollers have heretofore been provided with means which could be adjusted to give different speeds to these rolls to give different rates of feeding. To effect these adjustments however it was usually necessary to stop the machine. In my present invention the change from one speed, to any other desired speed is effected by one hand while the machine continues in operation, the change being effected almost in stantly and with practically no effort. I have shown my device in connection with the cotton cleaner of United States Patent No. 1,485,401, dated March 4, 192 1.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a cleaner-feeder mechanism;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the machine of Figure 1, showing my change-speed gearlng Figure 3 is an elevation, on an enlarged scale of the change speed gearing shown in Figure 2, looking in the direction of arrow in Figure 2;

Figure 4i is a detail of the movable gearing in Figure 2, looking in the direction of the double a row;

Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a plan view, on a reduced scale, of the mechanism; and V Figure 7 is a detail cross-section, through the hub of gear 2, line 7-'?, Fig. 4.

The two feed rollers A and B (see F 1) are connected at one end by gears a, and b, mounted upon the ends of the shafts A and B of the feed rolls A and B, which shafts project fronione end of the machine, so that, when either roller is actuated the other, through the gears a, and b, is also actuated.

of gears, 2, 3,

projects at the end of the machine opposite that at which the gears a, b, are placed (see Fig. 6) and carries the selective m chanism which is a feature of novelty and utility in my machine.

. This selective mechanism consists of a cage or box 1, within which is mounted a train 1 has hubs 1 bored to lit the shaft A and carries a pair of arms 1 The gear'fZ carries a key 2 within its bore, preferably integral, which enters slot A in the shaft A (see Fig. 7). The gear 3 is carried in bearings 1 in the outer ends of arms 1 and is permanently meshed with gear 2. The box and gear train assembly are passed over the free end of shaft A the key 2 entering the slot A so that the gear 2 and shaft A must thereafter revolve together but with provision for sliding the gear 2 and the box 1 along shaft A as desired, using for this purpose the handle 1. ing of the gear train on shaft A a hand wheel A may be mounted upon the free end of shaft A which will be found useful, at the end of a run, in rapidly feeding by hand a small remainder of cotton.

Upon a projecting end of the shaft D of beater drum D is mounted a gear, preferably a worm, 1, which engages with a worm gear 5 upon a shaft 6, the two gears being enclosed in bearing box 7 mounted, upon hubs 71, upon the end of shaft D and being restrained from end-wise movement upon the shaft D by collars D The bearing box 7 is provided with a bearing 72 which receives the lower end of shaft 6. ;The two gears i and 5, are in this manner kept in proper alignment and relation. The bearing box 7 carries an oil supply which keeps the gears 4- and 5, and bearing 72, lubricated.

The upper end of shaft 6 is carried and supported by a bearing 81 carried upon the free meshing togethen The box After the mountlongitudinal movement by collars 62, 63. Stub shaft 8 is securely fixed to the frame of the cleaner, projecting outwardly to carry a step cone gear, made up of gears 29*, 9, 9, 9,

9", the latter gear being, a bevel gear, engaged by a bevel pinion 61 on the upper end of shaft 6.

It will now be clear that rotation of the shaft 1), through gears 4 and 5 will rotate 10 shaft 6, and through bevel gears 61, 9", the

step cone gears 9 9", 9 9 all mounted to turn freely as one on stub-shaft 8. The step cone gear is mounted upon the stub-shaft 8 before the stub shaft issecured in position on the frame of the machine.

As shown in Figure 6, the sliding gear train on shaft A is oppositethe step cone gear and by swinging the box 1 by means of handle l to swing the gear 3 away from the step cone gears and sliding the box 1 along shaft A opposite anyselected gear of the cone set and then swinging gear 3 into mesh with the step gear desired, the continuous rotary motion of the step gear will be communicated, through gear train 3, 2, to the shaft A of the feed roll A and through gears, a, Z), to the feed roll B. The machine is provided with a spring bolt 1 which may be engaged with a desired socket in a socket horn, 0, fast to the frame of the machine and projecting in position to be engaged by the bolt 1 in any desired socket. When the gear 3 is in mesh with one of the step cone gears and the bolt 1 is in the appropriate socket, the gears will be held in mesh until released.

Iclaim :7

a In a variable-feed drive mechanism, a cleaner drum, having a shaft projecting outside the cleaner case at one end; a worm upon 40 the projecting end of the shaft; a second shaft; a worm gear'upon one end of the second shaft and in mesh with the worm; a floating cou ling element loosely mounted upon both sha ts to hold the worm and gear in operative relation; a bevel pinion upon the other end of the second shaft; a fixed stud arranged to one side of the projecting drum shaft; a rotatable step cone gear upon the stud; a sliding driving gear for the feed rolls, mount- 5 ed opposite the step gear and capable of engaging anyspur gear of the step gearfor transmission of rotary motion and for varying the relative speed of the transmitted motion, the outer end gear being a bevel gear to cooperate with the bevel pinion; a bearing upon the outer end of the fixed stud for the end of the second shaft; all organized, substantially as described, to transmit the continuous rotation of the drum to the step cone 7C gear upon the-stud.

Signed at Dallas,Tei as, this 21st day of March, 1927.. i, i a;

THOMAS .WESLEY AVEN. 

